Machine for sterilizing and washing fruit



Aprii 9, 1929- A. GUEGNARD 1,708,364

MACHINE FDR STER ILIZING AND WASHING FRUIT Filed June 1, 1927 2 Sheets-She's: 1

April 9, 1929. GUIGNARD 1,708,364

MACHINE FOR S'lERILIZING AND WASHING FRUIT Filed June l, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill/I hire/77b I I v fl yygjfgl {y yafd Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES PZATENT' OFFICE.

AUGUST GUIGNARD, 0F HOOD RIVER, OREGON.

MACHINE FOR STEBILIZING AND WASHING FRUIT.

Application filed June 1,

My present invention relates to my pending United States patent application filed 1n the United States Patent Office, on or about the 17th day of May, 1927, for a machine for sterilizing, washing and drying fruit.

My present invention consists primarily of Acids and other deteriorating agents are utilized in .the treating solutions and it is therefore necessary and expedient in. so far as possible to make the vats and the elements disposed therein of noncorrosive material. WVood and rubber-are two of the cheaper of these elements'and it is highly desirable to utilize these materials to a large extent.

Where metals are used, the precious or semi-precious metals that are acid resistants, are required and it was therefore necessary to depart from their use as far as possible to lessen the expense and deterioration of the deviceas a whole. Y

Ihave therefore here illustrated, described and claimed a device that may be made almost entirely of wood, wood products, and of rubber or rubber covered elements.

\Vith these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims, and a preferred .form of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of one of my assembled devices.

Fig. 2 is a top, plan view, partially in section, of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, cross section view, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated.

- Fig. 4 is a sectional vieweof another embodiment which is made to illustrate a sim solutions over the conveyor and the materials being carried thereupon.

Fig. 5 is still another form of embodiment of a circulating device for flushing the treat- 1927. semi No. 19w.

ing solutions upon and over the conveyor and the fruits being'transported thereupon and thereacross.

Like reference throughout the several views.

1 is a treating solution tank having an input chute 2, disposed upon the forward end of the same and an outlet elevator 3, disposed upon the opposite end of the solution tank. Atop 4, preferably made in section, is disposed upon the vat or tank to forma closure therefor. In my present application I have a multiple of cross shafts 5, one of which is the driving shaft about which operate endless conveyor belts preferably made ofa series of belts 6, having cross slats 7. The belts are in spaced relationship to permit of an over flowing of the treating solutions therethrough. In a preferred embodiment of which Fig. 3' is a cross section view, I run a conveyor at each side of the vat and have disposed adjacent each side, side rails 8 and 9, the inner side of which are shown at 10 and 11, are preferably made of rubber covered material, as rubber belting with a space be,- tween the side rail. and the conveyor belt. Rubber covered roping, illustrated at 12 and 13, are disposed parallel the inner side of the conveyor to permit of the over flowing of the treating solutions therebetween and upon the fruit products to be treated being conveyed upon the conveyor belt longitudinally of the vat, Stands 14 are disposed within the vat and drums, are secured to the shafts about which the conveyor belts are carried. I place an end bearing 15, within the base 16, of the vat and secured thereto a vertical propellershaft 17, having an end bearing 18, disposed at its lower end and adapted to engage within a suitable bearing journal within bearing block 15. outwardly projecting propelling blades19 are disposed about the vertical shaft 17, and are made of proper pitch and height to pick up the solutions and distribute the same through the ropes 12 and 13 and cause the same to flow, in an agitated manner, over ,and upon the conveyor belts and the fruit \products being carried thereby. A curved shield or deflector 20 is secured to upper cross bars 21 of the vat to prevent the upward flowple ingof the materials and to cause the materials and eflicient means of flushing the treating to "flow .in an even stream like' nanner upon tlie conveyor belts. A collar 22 is disposed upon the vertical shaft 17 and abuts-the u'nderside of the block 23, this is to prevent of a raising of. the shaft andpropeller when characters refer to like parts 'the same is in operation. A journal block 23 is placed upon the cross. bars 21, through which the vertical, shaft passes. A second journal bearing 24 is disposed at the upper end of the supporting brackets 25 and a second collar 26 is disposed upon the shaft andvengages the under side of the journal bearing 24. Driving and driven pulle s 27 and 28 are disposed at the upper end 0 the shaft. I

have here shown, in assembly detail in Fig. 1, three of these vertical shafts and driving elements for imparting rotation thereto but I do not wish to be limited to any specific number as the character of mechanism required where fairly large amounts of fruit products are to be treated. Smaller devices may be made, as illustrated in Fig. 4 wherein a propeller 33 may be disposed upon a horizontal shaft 34, and the same be made to pass through a stufling box 35, disposed through the side wall 36 of the tank. Power of rotation being imparted to the driving pulley 37 through a source of power, not here shown. A shield 38 is disposed within the tank to facilitate the'up-ward fiowin of the agitated material and the deposit of t e same 1 upon the conveyor 39. A rubber covered roping side wall 40 is disposed upon the inner side of the conveyor through which the agitated treating fluids are to be pumped or made to flow and the oppositely disposed rail 41 runs, parallel to, and forms a sidewall for the conveyor 39 to prevent the fruit being passed therealong from becoming, disengaged rom the-conveyor. A rubber covered side wall 42 is disposed upon the inner side of the side rail 41. Equally satisfactory results may also be obtained as shown in Fig. 5

wherein the vertical shaft 43 is disposed through the bottom of the vat or tank 16, as illustrated in Fig. 5,-and wherein the treating s utions are caused to flow upward through the action of the propeller 44 di s-' posed upon the inner end of the shaft 43. A stuffing box 45 being provided through the bottom wall 16, of the tank. A shield 46 causest e fluids. being agitated toflow between the shield 46 and the shield 47 through be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein shown and described, as it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claims which f0llow.-

' What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a liquid holding vat, treating solutions disposed within the vat, an endless conveyor disposed longitudinally of each side of the vat, one or more shafts vertically disposed between the endless conveyors, propeller blades outwardly extending from each of the vertical shafts, cooperating elements for driving each of the shafts and each of the conveyors and means for causing the solupropeller disposed upon the lower end of the shaft, means for driving the shaftand the propeller and -curved deflectors disposed above the propeller adapted for deflecting the liquid, ascirculated by the propeller,

over the upper surface of the endless .con-

veyors.

3. In a device of the class described, a

liquid holding tank, a pair of conveyors running from end to end thereof, vertical shafts each provided with a propeller submerged in said liquid, a shield'spaced above said propellers, said shield presentingtwo oppositely inclined curved surfaces ada ted for deflecting the liquid forced upwar ly by said pro-. pellers over the aforesaid conveyors.

4. In a device of the class described, a liquid holding tank, means within said tank for moving fruit or the like from one end thereof to the other, means for causing a current in the liquid within said tank,and a deflector cooperating with the last mentioned means adapted for deflecting the liquid cur-, rent upward and over the aforesaid frui conveying means.

AUGUST UIGNARD.

device of the class described, the 

